First Time Unemployment Claims "Jump" To Highest Level In Five Months -- December 1, 2016

First time unemployment claims:

• "jump" to highest level in five months;
• "rose more than expected" -- wow, haven't we heard that before (and before and before and before); but,
• the underlying trend remained consistent with a strengthening labor market (the robotic reporter "said")

The numbers:

• increased 17,000 to seasonally adjusted 268,000
• forecast: rising to 253,000 -- so only off by about 15,000
• but still below the 300,000 threshold -- longest run since 1970
• four-week moving average edged up 500 to 251,000